how to restore backup after partition crash on 5920

Hello,

when i got my new aspire 5920g, i decided to shrink partition C and to enlarge partition D with partition suite 10.
But i supposed it crashed, as i was not able to boot normally after that.

I've tried to restore the DVD but it failed with a 'type mismatch' error. same result with the backup attempt from recovery boot.

Then i decided to destroy all partitions in my disk, to create only a big one and to format it in NTFS with Gparted like several people did.

I've tried to use backup DVD and i had an error that i don't remember. then i've tried a second time (and did perharps something) and it worked.

But problem is that i can only boot vista if i press alt+f10. It seems that the hidden partition of recovery is still here or at least, it is disturbing the booting process..

is it a problem of MBR ?
how can i fix this pb ?

thanks a lot because i'm quite lost.

 

Well the best I can think of is to try your laptops recovery function to restore your HDD and OS. If you have a Windows DVD try a clean install and use the Windows installer to manage partitions.

If that doesn't work call the helpdesk for help. Next time don't mess around with your recovery partition. It's there for a good reason. Most laptopmakers provide software on the laptop if you want to alter the recovery partition or remove it all together. Its always best to use that software.

 

i have a oem licence and i don't have the DVD, but may be i can try to get one.
But what do you suggest to do exactly ? reinstall a clean version of vista from vista DVD (not the one from backup dvd) ? and what do you mean with 'manage partitions' ?

i was thinking of using testdisk MBR, or windows repair with vista dvd, but i don't know it that's possible and if that will work...

 

taz -
Did you make your recovery DVD's or not? I can't tell from your post.
And did your GParted LiveCD work or not? Can't figure that out either.
It really would help to see your partitions. Attached is a copy of mine.

Here's a guide to taking a screenshot from a GParted LiveCD (GPLCD)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=325775

If the GPLCD didn't work, you should try burning it again at a nice slow speed, say 4X or so, and use a CD-R, not RW.

'type mismatch error' means the recovery utility can't recognize the partition. I used GPLCD to format the disk to NTFS and the recovery DVD worked. Trying to figure out what's different in your situation. You're trying to recover from the HDD or from your recovery DVD's?

The screenshot you see is from my 5920. sda1 is the Vista partition. The rest is Ubuntu.

 

yes i've made a recovery from DVD
and i've use gparted live cd from USB flash disk

i'm gonna post a copy of my partitions.
And i'm trying to recover from DVD's as pqservice partitions is dead (removed)

 

Sounds like somthing got messed up. You can try a repair with Vista, but i just can't really pinpoint what the problem is.

In a case like this I would just try to get my hands on a Windows DVD and format the whole place and reinstall. Its too messed up to sort out.

 

taz -
I botched the original vista install, wiped the entire drive clean with a Seagate HDD utility CD, then got the "type mismatch" error when trying to run the #1 recovery DVD.

BTW, your PC is set to boot from the optical drive, and you know about holding down the Alt+F10 key when you first start up the laptop with the recovery disc in the tray, right?

Anyway, after the "type mismatch" error, I went back with GPLCD and formatted the HDD to NTFS. Back again to the #1 recovery DVD, held down Alt+F10, the recovery utility started, I got vista back.

So you do not need the pqservice partition if the recovery discs are good. I didn't.

Something I don't quite understand but want to pass on to you - when the recovery discs reinstalled to the blanked drive, they installed everything to one partition. No pqservice or anything else. After that, I tried the recovery discs again just to see what would happen. The recovery utility wouldn't start with the Alt+F10 keys. But it does start up if I just let the laptop boot from the #1 recovery disc without touching any keys at all! Go figure.

 

here are the screenshots.. kinda hard to get it, sorry for delay.

gparted


tesdisk1


testdisk2


testdisk3


It seems that I have a problem with testdisk but I don't know what... I'm a real newbie.

then to be clear,
I can boot to vista, but only if I press alt+F10. Else, blank screen with cursor blinking.
when I did my DVD backup restore, I used boot from DVD, and i previously had deleted all partitions and created only one big NTFS.
Now, I just use alt+F10 to boot vista. and it is not a normal behaviour as I normally deleted the PQservice partition.

You suggest me to grap a Vista DVD and do a proper installation ? pb is that I don't have a license. (only OEM)
I just need a MBR repair or a full format I think, but I'm a bit confused about what to do.. is it possible from Vista DVD and how ? I've heard about vista recovery disk but don't know more.

thanks a lot you too for your help.

 

Why is there a reference to "Compaq Diagnostics" on an Acer? You didn't try to reinstall vista with someone else's recovery discs, did you?
GParted identifies the one partition as ntfs, but that other utility identifies the partition as FAT32.

And all the Acer recovery partitions are gone. I don't know, maybe your best bet is to contact Acer and pay them for a set of recovery DVD's. I've checked on this and they were happy to sell me a set for $20.

 

I don't understand this reference to 'compaq diagnostics' too.
strange result from testdisk

This was my own recovery disks.
and they are working i think.


The acer recovery partitions are gone because i deleted it with gparted. But maybe it was not done correctly.
Could you tell me how you proceeded to create the unique partition as ntfs in gparted ?.. maybe i forgot something.

i think i will try to format the all drive with vista DVD.

what strikes me is that vista is perfeclty working when i press alt+F10, except the acer recovery function that is disabled.

thanks

 

Hi there all!
Today I installed a new HD I got, a 320gb one from WD. For whoever would like to know, they have it on b&h for 165$ with free shipping.

The thing is that before installing the new HD I made my recovery discs. Perfect. Then I put on the new HD, start my computer with the 1st DVD in the tray, and the recovery gets going. Everything perfect!

After it finishes, I got my vista back again, but no trace of any other partition. The HD came with just one partition, so none other is on the HD. No trace of any PQService partition anywhere! Aren't the recovery DVDs supposed to put your computer as if it was just OOTB???? Looks like if you got working recovery DVDs you won't be needing that partition again.

Now, when I try to startout eRecovery, I get this message: "eRAgent.exe was changed or moved, so the direct access won't work properly. Would you like to delete the link?" (i'm translating from spanish!).

Looks like I won't be able to start eRecovery again? I understand that without PQService partition I wont be able to make another set of recovery DVDs, but what about the other options that eRecovery had? Like the ones that let me backup my vista configurations and files...

Thanks for your time!!

Greetings from Tampa, FL!

 

tariro,
you're right, you will never be able to get the recovery functionnality unless you rebuild the hidden pqservice partition.. but it doesn't matter if you still have your backup DVD.

to others,
i've finally succeeded in booting vista normally (without pressing alt+F10).
I've used ubcd4win utility
link to ubcd4win
http://ubcd4win.com/index.htm

I've booted from the ubcd4win CD, and then started mbrfix utility.
I've selected my disk and did a fixmbr for vista.
I've rebooted my computer and then, vista started normally !!

But, I decided to do a clean install of vista.
I've followed the step described in this post ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=144783&highlight=install+vista+acer+5920), and it worked perfectly.
So i'm happy now with my configuration except that vista is in english now, but it will make me improve my english

hope that will help.

 

Creating the partition as NTFS was very straightforward. After I'd wiped the drive with the Seagate HDD utility CD (don't misinterpret this to think that I knew what I was doing; I didn't) I booted from the GPLCD. GPLCD saw one big unallocated partition. I'm reciting this from memory so it may not be exact but close. I clicked on the partition, clicked on "New", clicked on "Format" and NTFS. It only took a minute or two for GPLCD to format the entire drive to NTFS.

Then when I put in the #1 recovery disc and hit Alt+F10 the recovery utility started. Before formatting as NTFS I got "type mismatch".

Something else to think about. I'm hesitant to say "do it" because I don't fully understand this one. I'm no genius but have a pretty good understanding of the basic interactions that occur in BIOS when you first start up. Pressing Alt+F10 at startup tells me that you're accessing a command in the BIOS.
I've read other posts on this forum that recommended turning on or turning off the D2D function in BIOS. You might want to look into your BIOS, see if you can find that setting, and enable or disable it, then restart and see if it makes any difference.
Just a thought. As I said, I don't fully understand the D2D thingie, and was unable to find it in my BIOS.

 

yes but why did you hit alt+F10 to do a backup ? My recovery DVD are bootable (the first one), so i didn't use alt+F10.

 

Hi, taz -
I missed the post where you said you figured out how to get things going again. Congratulations! I admire your perseverance!

I don't think you need the Alt+F10 after wiping the disc clean like you did. I tried my recovery discs the other day and the recovery utility just started up, without using Alt+F10.

I don't understand the whole thing...

 

tazulrey,
thanks for the reply... i have found out thar the original partitions on the ACER HD are:
PQService FS:NTFS Partition 0x12 (Compaq Setup) 9,759Gb
ACER (C: ) FS:NTFS Partition 0x6 (FAT16) 69,77Gb
DATA (D: ) NTFS 66,27Gb
FS:NTFS Partition 0x12 (Compaq Setup) 3,241Gb

The last partition doesn't even have a name!
Does 0x12 mean hidden??
Is C: a FAT16 partition with NTFS filesystem??? I don't understand that very much.

The big question:
I'm about to clone my original HD to the new one with Acronis True Image Home. Will that work & have my new HD working with the recovery partiton also?



The part where you talk about the clean install of vista is very interesting. THANKS FOR THE LINK!!! Can't you select the language on the first installation??

THANK YOU!!!

tariro

 

hi,

I'm sorry but i don't have enough knowledge to answer your questions.
I've deleted quickly all my partitions and i don't remember as it was.

But i suppose 0x12 is the type of format, but not indicate if it's hidden or not.
It's weird that you have a fat 16 partitions for ACER. I thought mine was ntfs.
I've read here on another thread that the last partition was used for 'arcade' (a acer functionnality). I've concluded that it was not really interesting.
with what software did you get the partitions descriptions ? testdisk ?

I don't know the acronis true image home software. But if it's a hdd cloning software, i think it will work and you will have all your partitions.

for the vista clean installation, you can't select other languages than english. So i asked for a link to french DVD. but nobody answered.

 

I got the info on the partitions with the acronis software...
I'm looking at the disk management and is says it's NTFS.
Could it be posible to have a FAT16 partition and the File System be in NTFS???? Don't understand that very much!

About the clean install...
If you do the Anytime Upgrade method, you can get you CD in your language... At leat I can when I click on that link!
Also I can choose the 32bit of 64bit OS.

Then you did the Orev's Activation Backup, right? It looks like it worked perfect!! I'm glad!

 

What a great tool Acronis True Image Home is!!!
I'm writing now with my new 320gb hard drive set up. Boots perfect, and Alt+F10 brings out the eRecovery with no problem. I guess I could manage to make an exact clone of my HD!!

Acronis lets you do it manually, when HDs capacity is not exactly the same, so I told the program to creat the 9,759GB partition for PQService (at the beggining of the disk) and the 3,24GB partition at the end (don't know what it is, but i've read it might have something to do with Arcade or something like that, which is supposed to work without powering windows up, right?).

The other two partitions (C: ACER, and D: DATA) I could make them as I liked, finally gave out 85GB for the system and 200GB for data.

But know I realise the title of your original post, and I see that if you have lost PQService partition there's no way you can get it back I guess... Only solution for that comes with a full clean install of vista, or like I did on the first time, using a new HD and using your backup recovery discs created before, but with that method there's no PQService utility.

Hope I've helped you out a bit.

THANKS to all!!

tariro

 

good news for you...

can you explain what you did ?
i'm looking for a direct download link.

 

I really don't know tazulrey... what is your original language?
Windows anytime upgrade link (which i got from Stallen's guide) just gives me the option to have it in spanish, english of french.

For direct download link I guess you will have to use the links in stallen's guide, but those for sure will be only in english.

good luck!!!



tariro

 

I'm having the same problem and just blogged about it. I think it's very short sighted of Acer to think everyone is going to keep the original partitioning schema, especially when HALF the HD is a "backup partition" and to have to Recovery DVD's depend on the factory partitioning scheme is ludicrous. Recovery DVD's should be able to format and reinstall. Acer really dropped the ball here.

In essence the "backup" partition creates a false sense of security. A good amount of data loss is due to Hard Drive failure, a hidden partition won't help that. A hidden partition isn't going to protect that data from viruses and the like.

Anyhow after reading around here I finally got the recovery CD's to work by using the gParted Live CD to format the entire HD as NTFS. The files are now copying over, I'll update if any more errors pop up.

Thanks for the information folks and be careful when wiping partitions evidently Acer decided for us that we should only use half of our hard drive!

Update The system restore does not replace the master boot record with a new one. The fix download and burn the Vista recovery ISO: http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/ Boot from CD, enter the command prompt and type "bootrec /fixmbr" (without the quotes). Reboot and you're into Vista.